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Cape Town - Fin24 user Vernon Stoltz wants to know at what point can the striking platinum mine workers be fired.
He was responding to a call for debate on the platinum miners strike by labour columnist Terry Bell in his weekly Labour Wrap. He writes:
"At what point can the strikers be fired as this is getting out of hand and thousands of people are suffering, especially children.
The government is not getting involved due to the fact that the strikers “voted them in” so they won’t open their mouths."
Terry Bell responds:
Hi Vernon
The simple answer is that workers cannot be fired for going on a protected strike. Workers have the right to strike in accordance with the labour laws. So if the correct procedures are followed, workers can't be sacked, no matter the length of the strike.
Especially in cases such as the present miners' strike the intervention by government in what is a national emergency — mainly in terms of human cost rather than the economy — was long overdue.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
He was responding to a call for debate on the platinum miners strike by labour columnist Terry Bell in his weekly Labour Wrap. He writes:
"At what point can the strikers be fired as this is getting out of hand and thousands of people are suffering, especially children.
The government is not getting involved due to the fact that the strikers “voted them in” so they won’t open their mouths."
Terry Bell responds:
Hi Vernon
The simple answer is that workers cannot be fired for going on a protected strike. Workers have the right to strike in accordance with the labour laws. So if the correct procedures are followed, workers can't be sacked, no matter the length of the strike.
Especially in cases such as the present miners' strike the intervention by government in what is a national emergency — mainly in terms of human cost rather than the economy — was long overdue.
Regards
- Fin24
* Terry Bell is an independent political, economic and labour analyst. Views expressed are his own. Follow him on twitter @telbelsa.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.
